Coffey was referring to the check the North Stars` winger hit Wilson with early in the Hawks` 6-5 overtime triumph Tuesday night that eliminated Minnesota from the National Hockey League playoffs. Wilson had to leave the game with a badly pulled groin muscle and didn`t return.

Neither Wilson nor left wing Curt Fraser participated in Thursday`s Hawk practice in Chicago. But both are projected back on the ice Saturday night in Northlands Coliseum in the first game of their best-of-seven series against the Oilers. Fraser`s already battered ribs took some severe punishment in Game 6 in Minnesota, and he, too, had to make a premature exit.

Chicago is the next-to-last obstacle standing between the Oilers and a second straight Stanley Cup, and Wilson probably is Coffey`s No. 1 rival for the Norris Trophy, which is awarded to the league`s top defenseman.

Yet their friendship transcends the rivalry.

''I got to know Doug as a person and came to realize what a great player he is last summer when we played together on Team Canada and won the Canada Cup,'' Coffey said. ''It would really be a shame if he had to miss some games in this series. It would make our job a lot easier, but I`d hate to see it.'' Coffey also is injured, although he has been able to practice the last two days.

Coffey, who scored 37 goals and assisted on 84 during the regular season and has been brilliant in the playoffs, suffered a badly bruised right foot April 25. The instep was injured when Winnipeg defenseman Jim Kyte hammered it with his stick.

''I have a lot of trouble pushing off and skating backwards,'' said Coffey, ''and my foot gets tired. It feels a lot better than yesterday. On Monday, I couldn`t even walk with my feet flat, let alone skate.

''But I`ll be all right. I`ll play no matter what.''

Although the Oilers have played the minimum seven games in their two playoff series (two fewer than the Hawks), they also are a bit banged up.

Third line right wing Dave Lumley missed the last three games of the Winnipeg series because of a separated shoulder and isn`t expected to play Saturday.

Jari Kurri, who rolled through the regular season with 71 goals and 64 assists as Wayne Gretzky`s right wing, is feeling aftereffects of a broken thumb he suffered March 28 in Boston. He wears a tight binding on his left wrist and hand and it appears to be cramping his shooting style.

In the first half-dozen playoff games, he had three goals and a pair of assists, which constitutes a slump by his high standards. But he came out of it by scoring three goals and assisting on another in the last Winnipeg game. ''Teams have been playing much better defensively (than during the regular season),'' said Kurri, who had 14 goals and 14 assists in last year`s playoffs. ''You don`t get that much room on the ice, particularly in front of the net.

''I don`t feel any pain in my hand. It doesn`t bother me at all. I should start shooting better. But I`m not worried, because we`re winning.''

Another Oiler still not 100 percent is defenseman Kevin Lowe. He missed the last two games of the Oilers` opening-round sweep of the Los Angeles Kings, and the first of the Winnipeg series with a pulled groin muscle, an injury similar to Wilson`s.

''I like Doug, and for his sake I hope he can play,'' said Edmonton general manager/coach Glen Sather, who coached Team Canada in the Canada Cup. ''But it`s a tough injury to come right back from because you`re vulnerable. If anything happens Saturday, he could rip it and be gone for the whole series.''

-- The Great Gretzky believes that it`s fitting and proper that the Hawks eliminated Minnesota. ''It`s better for the league when teams that finish higher in the standings move on,'' said Gretzky, who won his fifth scoring championship with a 208-point season. ''If a fourth-place team advances, it shows the 80-game season doesn`t mean a lot.

''The Hawks are different from Minnesota in two ways. With Chicago you always have to keep an eye on Doug Wilson, and you`ve got to watch Denis Savard`s line.

''Chicago definitely deserves to be here. We`ll play them hard and treat them as a team that has a chance to win the Stanley Cup. We`re ready. They haven`t seen us play this well this year.''

The Hawks were runners-up in the Norris Division and 11th in the aggregate standings, while the North Stars were fourth in the division and 17th overall.

However, Chicago lost all three of its games to Edmonton--by scores of 4-2, 6-4 and 7-3.